North Texas honors late Pope Francis with memorial mass
In downtown Dallas, dozens of Catholics made their way to Cathedral Guadalupe Monday night. A special memorial mass was held to honor Pope Francis.
"He chose to be called simply Francis," Bishop Edward Burns said. "A name that signaled his mission to rebuild the church, to live the Gospel with simplicity and to draw near to the poor."
"It felt like he was just at the bottom and acted like any normal person and showed us the way as Jesus would have wanted him to," Jose Miguel Santelices said.
Pope Francis was known for his humility and simplicity, focus on the poor and marginalized and progressive stances compared to past popes.
"Any time he would interact with people, he was just a very sweet, sweet person," Citlali Calvillo said. "I actually got a chance to meet him in Rome."
Personal stories highlight Pope Francis' impact
Calvillo said just three months ago, she was selected to sing in front of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square with other members of her church choir.
"It was so special to be able to be so close to him," she said. "You feel this overwhelming sense of peace and love just being around him."
At Monday's mass, she joined Santelices and more than 100 other singers from various Catholic churches throughout North Texas.
"There will be music in Vietnamese, Spanish, and English and I think, like any funeral, with a family, it brings everyone together," Katherine Spellmon said.
"It's the connection that they all shared of that mutual respect him and love for him," Calvillo said. "It's beautiful. It's beautiful."
